Ready or not, Vikings’ playoff fate comes down to final game
DETROIT — The majority of the first half of the Vikings‘ 27-9 victory Sunday over the Detroit Lions could not have played out worse for Minnesota. As the penalties piled up (seven for 48 yards), so did the runs that went nowhere and drives that stalled. A team that came into Ford Field hoping to lock up its second consecutive playoff berth did very little throughout the first 25 minutes (12 plays, 4 yards, zero points) to show it was capable of returning to the postseason.
The two-minute warning came and went, and then came a 180-degree shift in momentum, igniting a 27-0 run for Minnesota en route to its second straight victory.
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The Vikings came into Week 16 needing to beat the Lions and have the Philadelphia Eagles lose to clinch a spot in the postseason. A red-hot Philadelphia team defeating Houston 32-30 means Minnesota’s playoff dreams will come down to the final game of the regular season. With a win over the Bears at home in Week 17, the Vikings are in. Minnesota (8-6-1) could also make the playoffs with a loss to Chicago but would need the Eagles to lose to or tie the Redskins.
Sunday’s victory showed that, ready or not, the Vikings remain on the playoff path despite an at-times sluggish performance against Detroit. Despite grabbing back-to-back wins during a stretch that will decide its postseason fate, Minnesota still has a handful of issues it needs to work out if it wants to make a deep push in January.
The Vikings scored 14 unanswered points at the end of the first half, first with Kirk Cousins hitting Stefon Diggs‘ for an 8-yard touchdown on an out route followed by the quarterback launching a Hail Mary pass with no time left that was caught by Kyle Rudolph in the end zone for a 14-9 lead.
That run was set up when the Vikings were able to reverse the things that were stalling drives. After going 0-for-4 on third down, Cousins found Adam Thielen for a 40-yard reception on third-and-17 that set up Diggs’ TD two plays later.
Rudolph’s usage in the passing game was a crucial asset in the Vikings nabbing their third road win of the season. The veteran tight end saw season-best production against the Lions, on the receiving end of Cousins’ 44-yard last-ditch bomb that he leapt up and caught in the back of the end zone, and on a 4-yard play-action touchdown that further extended Minnesota’s lead at the start of the third quarter. Rudolph’s day was as perfect as it could have been, going 9-for-9 on targets and catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns.
After a season-best offensive output against Miami in Week 15, the Vikings spoke all week about how much harder their challenge would become against a much more stout front in Detroit. Throughout the first half, Dalvin Cook struggled to go anywhere, totaling 15 yards on six rushes. By game’s end, the second-year running back was as active a part of the passing game as he was on the ground, totaling 19 touches (16 rushes, three catches) for 108 yards.
Despite the blunders on offense and explosive plays allowed by the Vikings’ defense early on, Detroit had to settle for field goals on each of its scoring drives. In many respects, the Lions came out flatter than the Vikings and didn’t have enough to overcome their own mistakes when Minnesota opened an early window for them to strike quickly and get ahead.
With the Vikings’ playoff fate yet to be decided, all eyes will be glued to the outcome of the Chief-Seahawks game on “Sunday Night Football.” If Seattle is handed its second consecutive loss, Minnesota jumps into the No. 5 seed in the NFC playoff picture.